KR20190009362A - Tube connection - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a tube connection adapted to receive a flexible tube made of a material comprising polyvinyl chloride, said tube connection including a sleeve adapted to form an overlapping region between said tube connection and said tube, At least a part of which is coated with an adhesion promoter, and the adhesion promoter comprises a styrene-butadiene block copolymer.

Description

Tube connection

The present invention relates to a new tube connection between a tube connection and a flexible tube, the flexible tube and the fluid treatment cassette module, wherein the fluid treatment cassette module comprises a tube connection made of a material made of polypropylene and a flexible tube made of polyvinyl chloride Styrene-butadiene block copolymer.

The connection between the flexible piping and the corresponding connection has been a challenging problem throughout the development and production of medical devices. For example, in a variety of medical engineering applications, such as injection, clinical nutrition, dialysis, transfusion, or ophthalmic surgery, if a safe and reliable flexible tubing that carries therapeutic or body fluids for each therapeutic purpose is not used Patient treatment is unthinkable.

In this connection, polyvinyl chloride (hereinafter referred to as PVC) has been widely used as the most promising material to meet the requirements from the medical aspect, while also providing excellent material properties that make PVC suitable for the manufacture of medical tubes. Thus, PVC is a commonly used material in the manufacture of disposable medical devices.

Nonetheless, there are some significant problems in using PVC in disposable medical devices such as tubes. The PVC material itself is necessarily deformed by the plasticizer to obtain the necessary material properties, making the PVC suitable for pipe or film production. In this regard, the plasticization of PVC is believed to cause partial dissolution of the PVC material and consequently results in a high quality tube product, particularly with regard to elasticity and bending resistance.

On the other hand, PVC materials have disadvantages of plasticizer elution. Over time, the plasticizer may contaminate body fluids or therapeutic fluids that come into contact with the PVC material by eluting from the PVC material and using disposable PVC medical articles, for example during the treatment period. Another disadvantage can be found in the fact that PVC can not be compatible with some other plastic materials, such as polypropylene and other polyolefins, which are also used in the manufacture of disposable medical products. In this respect, incompatibility means that the PVC is less likely to interact with other plastic materials in an attempt to form the joints, for example by welding or bonding. However, when the PVC and the second material form a joint such as a tube connection, a material interaction tendency is required. In the cases mentioned, PVC and polypropylene exhibit a low interaction tendency where the connection between the PVC tube and the polypropylene connection is not primarily due to a bonding process such as welding, bonding or blocking. Without such ancillary means, such a connection is not sufficiently resilient enough to meet the requirements of a medical disposable.

In connection with this disadvantage, there has been a tendency to classify PVC materials from the manufacture of medical disposables. In this regard, tubes made of polyolefins have been developed to provide PVC pipe replacement (eg, EP 2 001 670) to address the poor compatibility problem with PP. However, these tubes have problems with respect to bending resistance, elasticity, and increased material cost and production cost.

Another attempt was made to find a solution to connect PVC tubing to a commonly used PVC-incompatible plastic material such as PP. In this connection, DE 10 2005 024 621 discloses a concept achieved by a heat shrink tube in which a PVC tube can be connected to a tube part and the elasticity of the tube connection is wound around the overlapping area of the PVC tube and the rigid connection to form a forced- Lt; / RTI >

U.S. Patent No. 4,417,753 proposes the use of a poly (ethyl-vinyl acetate) (EVA) material sensitive to high frequency radiation and heated to form a connection between the PVC connection and the other connection.

The solutions reported in the state of the art are still insufficient, especially with regard to the quality performance required for medical disposables in connection with fluid treatment cassette modules (e.g. WO 2010/121819) which are currently used in dialysis therapies.

The fluid treatment cassette module is used for treatment of treatment fluid or body fluids during a treatment session. These cassettes are connected to respective piping for transferring each fluid to the fluid handling cassette module through the tube connection. The tube connections can be made of different materials, and PP is the preferred and generally acceptable material. It is well established to use an interchangeable material such as PP in the case of a cassette and a polyolefin material in the case of a tube to form an elastic joint between the tube connection of the cassette and the pipe. In this case, the cassette module and the piping comprise a compatible material that enables the formation of weldable joints. It has been found that when switching to a PVC material, it is not possible to form an elastic joint between the PP tube sheet, i.e. the tube connection of the cassette, and the PVC pipe, due to the low interaction tendency of the material. One way to obtain such joints is to find suitable ancillary means to support bonding of each component.

Thus, a basic requirement for bonding PVC to PP is to provide an adhesion promoter that makes PP and PVC compatible in the bonding region. In addition, the elasticity of the tube connection between the fluid treatment cassette module and the respective piping as described above must meet a significant challenge with respect to tensile and torsional strength. This results from the fact that the fluid handling cassette module is normally fixedly coupled to a corresponding receptacle of a dialysis machine or other treatment device wherein the tubing is flexible and loosely mobile and suspended from a fixedly coupled cassette. As a result, the movement of the piping continues to generate tensile and torsional stresses directly at the junction area between the flexible tube and the tube connection of the cassette, and this stress increases the risk that each tube is separated from the tube connection. This situation is exacerbated by the problem of coupling the pump tube section to the connection disposed on the fluid handling cassette module. These pump tube sections are continuously placed under tension and torsional stresses by respective roller pump actuators to maintain the desired fluid flow. This stress action is immediately applied to the tube connection area where each pump tube section is peeled off or ruptured from its abutment.

The bonded joint area should meet the requirements such as heat resistance. A preferred method of sterilization of medical devices is to use sterilization induced at elevated temperatures. Examples are vacuum steam sterilization or high pressure sterilization by autoclave.

It is an object of the present invention in the context of the aforementioned problems to provide a tube connection which provides an elastic connection in the overlapping region between the tube connection and the flexible pipe made of PVC material.

In particular, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an assembly of flexible tube made of a material comprising a tube connection and a polyvinyl chloride, wherein said tube connection and said flexible tube form an elastic connection in its overlapping connection area.

In particular, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a flexible tube made of a material comprising a polyvinyl chloride, comprising at least one tube connection capable of forming an elastic joint in a superimposed connection area overlapping with a flexible tube made of a material comprising a polyvinyl chloride, Processing cassette module.

In particular, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a tube made of a PVC material that is capable of forming an elastic joint in an overlap region overlapping the tube connection.

In particular, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an assembly comprising a flexible tube made of a material comprising a tube connection and a polyvinyl chloride, and a fluid treatment cassette module for treating the treatment fluid or body fluids.

Surprisingly, it has been found that, in a first aspect of the present invention, the object according to the object of the present invention described above is solved by a tube connection adapted to receive a flexible tube made of a material comprising polyvinyl chloride, The connecting portion includes a sleeve configured to form an overlapping region between the tube connecting portion and the tube, an adhesion promoter is applied to at least a part of the surface of the sleeve, and the adhesion promoter includes a styrene-butadiene block copolymer .

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the tube connection is characterized in that the sleeve comprises a protruding lip extending axially in the axial direction, preferably axially within a part or all of the overlap region .

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the tube connection is characterized in that the protruding lip is in the shape of a dovetail.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the tube connection comprises at least one recess in which the sleeve extends inwardly from the outer surface thereof.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the tube connection is characterized in that the adhesion promoter is applied as overmolding onto at least a part of the surface of the sleeve.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the tube connection is characterized in that the adhesion promoter forms an outer collar on the sleeve of the tube connection.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the tube connection is characterized in that at least a portion of the adhesion promoter forms a front flange configured to receive an end face of the tube.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the tube connection comprises a styrene-butadiene block copolymer having a total styrene content of 20 to 80% by weight, preferably 25 to 75% by weight, more preferably 40 to < 70% by weight.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the tube connection is characterized in that the styrene-butadiene block copolymer exhibits a order-disorder transition temperature of from 140 캜 to 220 캜, or a Shore A hardness in the range of 80 or 90 Or a sequence-disorder transition temperature and Shore A hardness as defined above.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the tube connection is characterized in that the sleeve forms a female or male connection.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the tube connection is made of a plastic material, or is made of a rigid or rigid plastic material, said plastic material comprising or consisting of polypropylene do.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method according to the present invention for the manufacture of a flexible, Wherein the tube is coupled to the overlap region of the sleeve of the tube connection and the tube is connected to the tube connection via the adhesion promoting material.

In a further embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention said assembly is made from a material comprising polyvinyl chloride, said flexible tube being selected from the group of alkyl esters of trimellitic acid, terephthalic acid or phthalic acid , And the plasticizer is preferably selected from trioctyl trimellitate, dioctyl terephthalate or dioctyl phthalate.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method according to the third aspect of the present invention, wherein at least one tube connection according to any of the embodiments of the second aspect of the present invention, And a fluid treatment cassette module for treating the treatment fluid or bodily fluid.

In a further embodiment of the third aspect of the invention, the fluid treatment cassette module comprises a plurality of tube connections, wherein at least two tube connections are arranged to distribute the polymer melt stream to at least two rigid connections simultaneously And are interconnected by conduits.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for the preparation of a styrene-butadiene block copolymer as described above, wherein the problem of the above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by a material comprising a polyvinyl chloride superimposed by an adhesion promoter comprising, in whole or in part, It is solved by a manufactured flexible tube.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube is characterized in that the adhesion promoter comprising a styrene-butadiene block copolymer is applied to part or all of the outer surface of the tube.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube is characterized in that the adhesion promoter comprising a styrene-butadiene block copolymer is applied to part or all of the outer surface of the tube.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube is characterized in that the continuous layer of the adhesion promoter / styrene-butadiene block copolymer and the tube are produced by coextrusion.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube is characterized in that the continuous layer is in the form of a bushing applied to the end of the tube.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube is characterized in that the continuous layer of the interconnecting medium is applied by printing.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube comprises a plasticizer wherein the polyvinyl chloride is selected from the group of alkyl esters of trimellitic acid, terephthalic acid or phthalic acid, preferably the plasticizer is trioctyl Trimellitate, dioctyl terephthalate or dioctyl phthalate.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube is characterized in that the styrene-butadiene block copolymer exhibits a Shore A hardness of 80-90.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention the flexible tube is characterized in that the styrene-butadiene block copolymer comprises at least one, preferably two or more, polystyrene block (s) and at least one randomized poly Co-butadiene) block.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube comprises 20 to 80 wt%, preferably 25 to 75 wt%, more preferably 40 to 70 wt% of the styrene-butadiene block copolymer, For example, a total styrene content of 60% by weight.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube is characterized in that the styrenic block copolymer comprises a sequence-disorder transition temperature of 140 ° C to 220 ° C.

In a further embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube has a thickness of 5 to 200 占 퐉, preferably 15 to 180 占 퐉, more preferably 20 to 180 占 퐉, 160 탆, and more preferably 30 탆 to 150 탆.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a flexible tube comprising at least one tube connection adapted to receive a flexible tube and at least one tube connection according to any of the embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention, The flexible tube of Fig.

In a further embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present invention said combination comprises a sleeve configured such that said tube connecting portion forms an overlapping region between said tube connection and said tube and wherein at least a portion of the surface of said sleeve has an adhesion promoter Is applied.

In a further embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present invention said combination comprises a sleeve configured such that said tube connecting portion forms an overlapping region between said tube connection and said tube and wherein at least a portion of the surface of said sleeve has an adhesion promoter And the adhesion promoter comprises a styrene-butadiene block copolymer.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method according to the present invention for at least one tube according to any of the embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention, And a fluid treatment cassette for treating a therapeutic fluid or bodily fluid.

The present invention is further illustrated by Figures 1-4.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is an axial cross-sectional view of a tube connection according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the tube connection is illustrated as being capable of receiving a flexible tube made of a material comprising polyvinyl chloride to form a tube connection; FIG. to be.
Figure IB illustrates a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 1A in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of an assembly of a tube connection and a flexible tube in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 illustrates a fluid treatment cassette module providing a plurality of tube connections wherein each of the tube connections may receive a flexible tube to form a tube connection in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
4 illustrates an assembly including a fluid treatment cassette module including a plurality of tube connections and a plurality of flexible tubes in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention.

In the context of the present invention, the term " tube connection " refers to an assembly in which a tube connection accommodates a flexible tube. The tube includes a conduit for guiding the fluid through and a conduit for guiding the fluid through the conduit. In this connection, the tubing connection means that the tube and the connecting portion are joined together to form one communication conduit for guiding the fluid through.

In the context of the present invention, the term " tube connection " relates to a portion capable of forming a tube connection as defined above. In one embodiment, the tube connection is made of a plastic material, made rigid, or made of a rigid plastic material. In this respect, the term " stiffness " means that the connection portion is somewhat resistant to bending. The term " rigid plastic " means that each component, i.e., the tube connection is made of a plastic material that provides a glass transition temperature that is higher than the ambient operating temperature of each component, i.e., the tube connection. Thus, the term " tube connection made of rigid plastic material " means represented as a rigid construction unit. The deformation of the rigid plastic connection, as opposed to the flexible component, i.e. the flexible tube, is generally irreversible and will destroy its function

In the context of the present invention, the term " sleeve " refers to a form derived from a cylinder surface. In the present context, the sleeve comprises an inner cavity having an inner surface and an outer surface. The contact between the sleeve and the flexible tube according to the invention can be carried out by inserting the tube into the sleeve. In this arrangement, the outer surface of the tube is adjacent to the inner surface of the sleeve. The sleeve is considered part of the female tube connection. In an alternative embodiment, the sleeve may be inserted into the lumen of each tube. In this arrangement, the inner surface of the tube is adjacent to the outer surface of the sleeve. The sleeve is considered part of the male connector.

In the context of the present invention, the term " adhesion promoter " relates to any agent capable of promoting adhesion between the two parts and comprising a polystyrene-butadiene block copolymer. This agent is particularly useful for promoting adhesion of materials comprising PVC and polypropylene (PP).

In the context of the present invention, the term " styrene-butadiene block copolymer " (hereinafter SBC) relates to block copolymers. The block copolymers are composed of at least two different monomers that are not statistically distributed over the polymer chain length but are assigned to at least two respective blocks within the polymer chain. Block copolymers and methods for their preparation are known to those skilled in the art and are commercially available. The different blocks are covalently bonded to one another to form a single polymer chain. With respect to the styrene-butadiene block copolymers mentioned, the first block consists almost entirely of styrene monomer units. The second block consists almost entirely of butadiene monomer units. However, any co-monomer such as a low proportion of styrene may be included in the butadiene block. Defining the polymer chains from the monomer units means that the polymerizable reactants of each monomer are no longer present in the polymer chain. In this respect, the styrene monomer unit appears as a phenyl-ethyl group and the butadiene monomer appears as a butyl group in the polymer chain. In a preferred embodiment, the styrene-butadiene block copolymer is defined by a styrene block and a butadiene block, wherein the butadiene is polymerized in the 1,4 form wherein the C1 atom and the C4 atom of the butadiene repeat unit are covalently bonded to each subsequent monomer unit .

In the context of the present invention, the term " fluid treatment cassette module " refers to a functional unit for treating a therapeutic fluid such as body fluid or dialysis fluid, such as blood, for the treatment of each patient during a treatment session. Within the context of the present invention, such modules are designated as fluid handling cassette modules regardless of whether one or more tubes for transporting fluid are connected to each of the fluid handling cassette modules.

In the context of the present invention, the term " tube " refers to a tubular conduit for transporting fluid from a fluid source to a fluid treatment, injection or discharge location. Within the main understanding, the term " tube " refers to a longitudinally extending cylindrical shape, also referred to as an axial direction. Vertical cutting to the axial direction forms a cross section of the tube providing a circular shape. The tubes referred to herein normally include at least one lumen located at a central location of the circular section of the cross section. However, within the scope of the present invention, a tubular shape having a non-circular cross section is also included. In this regard, the cross-section may also have an oval, polygonal or lip shape.

In this respect, the flexible means that each tube can be bent to a minimum radius without breakage. The minimum radius is defined as the radius at which the tube bends and the inner lumen is closed. At this point, the flexible means that the closure is reversible and the lumen is reopened by the restoring force of the tube when releasing the tube from its curved shape.

The term " flexible PVC tube " relates to the understanding of tubes formed from a material comprising polyvinyl chloride. Within the context of the present invention, the tube may consist solely of PVC material or may be a mixture of PVC and other auxiliary materials.

In the context of the present invention, the term " protrusion " relates to the embossed form of the section of each component. The term rib refers to a shape that is longer in the longitudinal direction than the width and smaller in height than the longitudinal extension. The lip shape may be rectangular, curved or oval. According to the present invention, any form can be considered as long as the effect contributes to the present invention.

In the context of the present invention, the term " dove tail " refers to any form of protruding lip, meaning that the section cut perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the lip exhibits a dovetail shape. The term "dovetail" is a well-known expression in mechanical engineering. In the present invention, at least the expression " dovetail " means providing a trapezoidal shape.

In the context of the present invention, the term " bushing " refers to a flexible cylinder shape generally made of a plastic film material. The bushing may be tubular. As used herein, bushing means to be wrapped on or in a cylindrical product such as a tube end section or sleeve cavity.

In the context of the present invention, the term " superimposed " means that at least a portion of the adhesion promoter is applied onto the flexible tube of the present invention. In this regard, application may be in any form, such as a random layer, a sputtering layer, a shaping layer, a pattern layer, a coating layer, or a continuous layer, as long as it facilitates adhesion between the flexible tube and the tube connection as disclosed herein.

As mentioned herein, the tube connection is formed by a flexible tube made of a material comprising polyvinyl chloride (hereinafter PVC) as a tube connection and a medical tube. Tubes for delivering medical fluids are well known in the art. With regard to the dialysis field, particularly hemodialysis, several types of tubes are essential for performing a treatment session. With respect to the fluid treatment cassette module for treating a therapeutic fluid or bodily fluids, different types of tubes are connected to the cassette module. The tubes found in these different tubes are:

A blood line, usually with an outer diameter of about 10.2 mm, an inner lumen diameter of 7.2 mm and a wall thickness of about 1.5 mm, for delivering the patient's blood to a blood treatment device, i.

- dialysis fluid piping intended to carry fresh dialysate and used dialysate;

- heparin tubing intended to deliver heparin to the extracorporeal blood circuit on hemodialysis to prevent blood clotting;

A pump piping intended to provide pumping means by means of an interlocking treatment of the pump tube, said interlocking treatment being carried out by a pump actor in the form of a rotor comprising a roller in the rotor end section for cooperatively compressing the pump tube, These tube sections are used to maintain the flow of blood and dialysis fluids, particularly in the in vitro treatment of hemodialysis, and the pump tubes generally have a lumen diameter of 8 mm, a wall thickness of 2.1 mm and an overall diameter of 14.2 mm,

.

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a tube connection adapted to receive a flexible tube made of a PVC material. The tube connection part is characterized by forming a sleeve to accommodate the flexible tube. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the tube connection comprises at least a sleeve coated with an adhesion promoter on the sleeve, wherein the adhesion promoter comprises a styrene-butadiene block copolymer.

The tube connection referred to herein is performed by inserting a tube into the receiving portion of the sleeve of the tube connection. It is essential that the flexible PVC tube and sleeve of the tube connection all form an overlapping area when coupled to each other. The overlapping area forms the contact area between the flexible PVC tube and the sleeve, where coupling of the tube connection can be achieved. The inventors have found that adhesion between the sleeve and the flexible PVC tube is greatly improved by applying an adhesion promoting polymer made of SBC on the surface of the sleeve of the tube connection. Therefore, it is also possible to form a resilient joint that is strong enough to withstand the mechanical impact induced in the pump tube section, for example, by the pump operation of the roller pump actuator.

The inventor has found that it is desirable for the flexible PVC tube and the tube component to be interference fit. This means that the sleeve or PVC flexible tube of the tube connection should be manufactured in a rather small size. A force for forming the tube connection must be applied when the flexible PVC tube is coupled to the inside or outside of the slab of the tube connection portion. This puts the flexible PVC tube under the preliminary tension so that material contact is made closer to the SBC side, which is the adhesion promoter applied to the sleeve between the tube connection and the flexible PVC tube under the bonding conditions.

According to another embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the sleeve of the tube connection comprises a protruding lip. The protruding ribs extend in the axial direction of the overlap region between the flexible tube and the rigid connection portion. The axial direction of the overlap region means the longitudinal direction of the flexible tube when inserted into the tube connection portion, which is not bent.

When an adhesion promoter is applied on the surface of the sleeve forming the protruding lip structure, a mechanical holding point for holding is formed. The protruding lip has been found to improve the strength of the joint that is deployed toward the inserted tube side. It is believed that the increase in stability is caused by the indentation of the tube upon insertion into the tube material of the fluid treatment cassette. The pre-tension of the inserted tube applies a tension to the adhesion promoter applied to the protruding lip. Thus, the mechanical interference between the protruding lip and the applied adhesion promoter is based on additional tensile fastening which improves the overall bond strength.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the protruding lip is provided in the form of a dovetail. This means that the transverse section cut perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the lip represents a dovetail shape. It has been confirmed that the mechanical interaction between the dovetail-shaped lip and the adhesion promoter is improved. Corresponding tube connections made of flexible tube made of a material including a tube connecting portion including a sleeve having a dovetail-shaped lip and an adhesion promoter SBC and PVC are preferable because they provide elasticity.

In another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the mechanical holding point between the sleeve of the tube connection and the adhesion promoting SBC is preferably an outer surface of the sleeve present in the overlap region formed between the sleeve of the tube connection and the flexible tube By forming a recess that extends inwardly from the base plate. In such embodiments, the applied styrene-butadiene block copolymer can increase the tube connection elasticity by filling the recesses and forming mechanical holding points to improve the interaction between the tube connections and the SBC.

The SBC may be applied on the sleeve surface by a variety of techniques. In one embodiment, the SBC is applied by overmolding the sleeve of the tube connection in a two-component injection molding process. The overmolding process of plastic parts is well known in the art. After preparing the overmolded tube connection, a flexible PVC tube may be inserted into the connection to form an overlapping area between the sleeve of the tube connection and the flexible PVC tube. At least the overmolding is performed at a portion of the surface of the sleeve. Thus, in one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, SCB application is achieved by overmolding.

The bonding between the deformed tube connection and the flexible PVC tube can be achieved by adhesion. If the adhesion is the preferred process for bonding the flexible PVC tube and tube connections together to the SBC, the bonding is performed using a solvent such as " Tetramek ", the solvent mixture obtained from tetrahydrofuran and methyl ethyl ketone. It was confirmed that strong bonding was formed by bonding.

Adhesion may be carried out according to the method of wetting with a tetramec solvent in a tube sheet containing an adhesion promoter in the first step. In the second step, the tube ends are immersed in the same solvent for about 5 seconds. Next, the tube end section is inserted into and out of the tube sheet. The tube is shielded in place for at least 20 seconds to form an adhered tube connection.

Another option is to interpose an adhesion promoting styrene-butadiene block copolymer by a bushing wrapped between the flexible PVC tube and the tube connection. Another method is to use a flexible PVC tube in which the outer surface region of one or both sides is modified with the styrene-butadiene block copolymer.

In another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the mechanical interaction of the tube connection with the adhesion promoting SBC is enhanced by SPC forming an outer collar on the sleeve of the tube connection. The outer collar provides an additional mechanical support structure that secures the adhesion promoter, which can be applied by the overmolding process of the SBC, to the structure of the sleeve of the tube connection.

In another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the adhesion promoter forms a front flange on a portion of the tube connection. The surface flange forms an opposed surface to the end section of the inserted tube. The flange is parallel to the vertical cuts in the longitudinal direction of the tube connection, in particular the vertical cuts perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the overlap region.

In another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the adhesion promoter is characterized in that the content of polystyrene blocks in the SBC is in the range of 5 wt% to 35 wt%. Preferably, the content of polystyrene blocks in the SBC ranges from 7 to 25% by weight, preferably from 10 to 20% by weight. At this point, styrene block contents of less than 5% of the total SBC weight showed a weak tube connection. On the other hand, a styrene block content of 35% or more indicated that there was a problem in manufacturing the tube connection according to the present invention.

According to another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention we have found that the total styrene content, i.e. the styrene present as random co-monomer in the styrene and butadiene blocks present in the polystyrene block, It was confirmed that it affected the action. In this respect, it has been found that the preferred total styrene content is in the range of 20 to 80%, preferably 25 to 75%, more preferably 40 to 70%.

In one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, it is an object to mediate a good adhesive bond between a tube and a pipe connection, such as a flexible PVC tubing through an adhesion promoting SBC, with one end on the sleeve of the tube connection of the fluid handling cassette module , And the other is an SBC that can be tightly coupled to the flexible tube. By providing appropriate stiffness of the styrene-butadiene block copolymer, the intervening styrene-butadiene block copolymer is in intimate surface contact with the adjacently disposed tube by compensating the surface roughness of the sleeve of the tube connection part and the flexible PVC tube. Adherent surface contact between the sleeve of the tube connection and the adhesion promoter has a positive effect on the bond strength. In this connection, Shore hardness of A-80 to 90 Shore hardness has been shown to be advantageous (measured according to standard ISO 868).

According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the flow properties and polarity properties of the adhesion promoter, i.e. SBC, are suitably determined in order to find a favorable interaction tendency of the styrene-butadiene block copolymer to the tube connection of the fluid treatment cassette module. It has also been revealed that it is important to be angry. Both flow and polarity properties can be influenced by the chemical heterogeneity and structure of the polymer chains used as adhesion promoters. The flow properties can be influenced through the chain-styrene polystyrene block of the styrene-butadiene block copolymer. The polarity of the polymer chain may be affected by controlling the amount of randomly distributed styrene repeat units incorporated into the flexible polybutadiene block of the styrene-butadiene block copolymer. To combine these two effects, an adhesion promoter comprising a polystyrene block and a styrene-butadiene block copolymer consisting of a block of a random copolymer of butadiene and styrene is preferred. It is even more preferred that the polystyrene-butadiene block copolymer comprises a polymer chain having at least one block of at least two polystyrene blocks and a random copolymer of butadiene and styrene.

Polymeric materials made from the polymer structures and chemicals described above are known to form phase separation into micro- or nano-sized. The micro or nanostructures of such polymeric materials are responsible for elastomeric, plastic and flow properties. To maintain these properties at high temperatures that may occur during thermal sterilization processes, it is important to select adhesion promoters that are resistant even at the high pressure heat sterilization temperatures at which the micro or nanostructures are generally performed at 121 占 폚. Thus, in one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the tube connection features an adhesion promoting styrene-butadiene block copolymer comprising a order-disorder transition temperature of at least 140 ° C. The order-disorder transition temperature can be determined by flow measurement. The shear modulus (G ') is defined as the temperature at which the abrupt change occurs (Kim et al .; Macromolecules 1998, 31, 4045, standard ISO 6721).

The maximum lower limit of order-disorder transition temperature is given by the pyrolysis process of the polymer. For the SBC used in the examples according to the present invention, thermal stability at temperatures above 220 [deg.] C does not provide any advantage for the present invention.

The sleeve of the tube connection may form a female or male part to form a tube connection with the flexible tube according to one aspect of the present invention. In one embodiment, it is desirable that the sleeve form a female-shaped portion because the sleeve is more resilient. The tube connection can be formed by inserting a flexible tube, for example, a flexible PVC tube, into the sleeve of the forming tube connection. Thus, the styrene-butadiene block copolymer material applied to the tube connection of the fluid treatment cassette module is in contact with the outer surface of the tube. It has been demonstrated that tube connection with higher bonding strength can be achieved when the sleeve of the tube connection is formed as a female connection. By this means, the overlapping surface area is larger than in the case of the tube connection in which the tube connection portion forms the male member.

In one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the tube connection is preferably made of or comprises a polypropylene (PP) polymeric material. In an alternative embodiment, the tube connection may be made of a copolymer of propylene and ethylene (PPE). Random copolymers of polypropylene and propylene with ethylene are widely used and preferred materials in the manufacture of medical disposables. The polypropylene material is translucent, which is an important property in the treatment of medical fluids since the major non-uniformity of the treatment fluid, such as the clotting of blood components or the precipitation of salt, can be visually detected. In addition, the PP material or the PPE copolymer material has proved to be a good starting material for the overmolding process further described herein, because the polypropylene material provides excellent compatibility with adhesion promoters comprising styrene-butadiene block copolymers

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the tube connection is made rigidly. When the tube connection is made in a robust manner, the tube connection can be secured to the mechanical part by mechanical means. This is an important feature, especially if the machine operation is to interfere with the flexible tube or tight tube connection of the tube connection. For example, a rotor of a roller pump may act on a pump tube section that is part of a tube connection according to the present invention.

In a second aspect, the present invention refers to an assembly comprising a flexible tube made of a material comprising a PVC and a tube connection according to any of the embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention. The tube connection referred to here is performed by inserting a tube into the receiving portion of the tube connection portion. It is essential that the flexible PVC tube and tube connections all form overlapping areas when coupled to each other. The overlapping area forms a contact area between the flexible PVC tube and the tube connection, where coupling of the tube connection can be achieved. The inventors have found that the adhesion between the flexible PVC tubes of the tube connections is greatly improved by opening an adhesion promoting polymer made of a styrene-butadiene block copolymer. It was therefore also possible to form a resilient joint strong enough to withstand the very large mechanical impact induced in the pump tube section due to the pump operation of the roller pump actuator.

In one embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the flexible PVC tube is formed of a plasticized material. Among the plasticizer columns used for PVC, it has been found that the alkyl ester of trimellitic acid, terephthalic acid or phthalic acid is preferred due to its excellent compatibility with the adhesion promoter polystyrene-butadiene block copolymer and its blood compatibility in PVC blood tubing lost. The selection of a suitable plasticizer material has been found to be crucial for the formation of tube connections according to the present invention. Some other plasticizers destabilize the tube connections. PVC plasticizers have been found to dissolve SBCs to reduce adhesion in the overlap region of tube connections. It has been found that trioctyl esters of trimellitic acid, dioctyl esters of terephthalic acid, and dioctyl esters of phthalic acid provide desirable adhesion performance. One of the preferred plasticizers is trioctyl trimellitate, especially tris (2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a method of treating a subject comprising at least one tube connection according to any of the embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, or an assembly according to any of the embodiments of the second aspect of the present invention, Refer to the fluid handling cassette module to be processed.

In one embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, the fluid treatment cassette comprises a plurality of tube connections. It has been found that the method of making an overmolded tube connection can be simplified by interconnecting at least two tube connections with one conduit for even distribution of the polymer melt stream to at least two rigid connections. With respect to the complex structure of the fluid handling cassette module, the amount of polymer melt injection port required can be reduced.

In another embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, the tube connection and the fluid treatment cassette module form an integral unit. This configuration benefits from the manufacturing advantage that the fluid treatment cassette module and the tube connection can be manufactured in one injection molding process. Further, in the continuous injection molding step, an overmold of an adhesion promoter containing a styrene-butadiene block copolymer is applied to the tube connection portion. In this connection, the term " integral " means that the fluid treatment cassette module and the tube connection section can not be separated without destroying the functional purpose of the fluid treatment cassette module as described above.

In a further embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, the fluid treatment cassette module is made of a polypropylene (PP) polymer and, alternatively, the cassette is made of a copolymer of propylene and ethylene (PPE). Random copolymers of propylene and ethylene and polypropylene are widely used and preferred materials for the production of disposable medical devices. The polypropylene material is translucent, which is an important property in the treatment of medical fluids since the major non-uniformity of the treatment fluid, such as the clotting of blood components or the precipitation of salt, can be visually detected. In addition, the PP material or the PPE copolymer material has proved to be a good starting material for the overmolding process described further herein, because the polypropylene material provides excellent compatibility with adhesion promoters comprising styrene-butadiene block copolymers.

According to one embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, the fluid treatment cassette module comprises a tube connection forming a female connection. The tube connecting portion can be formed by inserting a flexible PVC tube, which is a flexible tube, into the sleeve of the formed tube connecting portion. The styrene-butadiene block copolymer material applied to the tube connection of the fluid treatment cassette module is accessible to the outer surface of the tube. It has been demonstrated that tube connections with higher bond strength can be achieved when rigid connections on fluid handling cassette modules are formed as female connections. By this means, the overlapping surface area is larger than in the case of the tube connection in which the tube connection portion forms the male member.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a flexible tube comprising an overlapped material comprising a material made of a polyvinyl chloride and an adhesion promoting material comprising a styrene-butadiene block copolymer, wherein the styrene-butadiene block copolymer The overlapped material covers at least a portion of the tube surface. At least the styrene-butadiene block copolymer is superimposed on the end of the flexible PVC tube so that the adhesion promoter is interposed in the overlapping region of the flexible PVC tube with the corresponding connection by joining the tube and the corresponding connection.

In a particular embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible tube comprising a material made of polyvinyl chloride is a tube made of PVC and a plasticizer. In this regard, the term " flexible tube comprising polyvinyl chloride material " also includes the term " flexible PVC tube ".

In yet another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the adhesion promoter comprising a material comprising a styrene-butadiene block copolymer is comprised of a styrene-butadiene block copolymer.

In one embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the superimposed adhesion promoting material is applied to the outer surface of the flexible tube. This makes it possible to use a female complementary connection for tube connection with the flexible PVC tube. This is advantageous in this respect.

In one embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the superimposed adhesion promoting material comprising a styrene-butadiene block copolymer has at least an area where the adhesion promoting material is applied and at least a portion of the tube- Thereby forming a continuous layer which completely covers the outer surface of the tube in the region where superimposition is expected.

In another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, successively superimposed adhesion promoting materials comprising styrene-butadiene block copolymers can be prepared by coextrusion of multi-layer tubes. Thus, the main tube layer is formed by the PVC material. The second layer may be formed by an adhesion promoter comprising SBC. By co-extrusion, the co-extruded tube is obtained from two polymer melts which are a PVC melt and a styrene-butadiene block copolymer melt. The two melts are extruded through an extrusion nozzle to form two layers of tubes. As both the PVC and the styrene-butadiene block copolymer are in contact in the molten state, the adhesion between the PVC tube layer and the styrene-butadiene block copolymer layer is significantly high.

The SBC may be applied to the surface of the flexible PVC tube by other techniques. Another technique may involve superimposing a bushing containing a styrene butadiene block copolymer on the exterior surface of the flexible PVC tube.

Another method may include applying a styrene-butadiene block copolymer to the outer surface of the flexible PVB tube by dip coating.

According to one embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the flexible PVC tube is made of a plasticized material. It has been found that alkyl esters of trimellitic acid, terephthalic acid or phthalic acid are preferred because of their excellent compatibility with polystyrene-butadiene block copolymers as adhesion promoters and their blood compatibility in PVC blood tubing, It turned out. The selection of a suitable plasticizer material has been found to be crucial for the formation of tube connections according to the present invention. Several other plasticizers appeared to destabilize the tube connections. It has been found that the PVC plasticizer dissolves the styrene-butadiene block copolymer to reduce the adhesion in the overlap region of tube connections.

In another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is an object to find a PVC material that is suitable for use according to the requirements of a medical tube, but which on the other hand does not compromise the strength of the tube connection. It has been found that trioctyl esters of trimellitic acid, dioctyl esters of terephthalic acid, and dioctyl esters of phthalic acid provide desirable adhesion performance. One of the preferred plasticizers is trioctyl trimellitate, especially tris (2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate.

In another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention it has been found to mediate a good adhesive bond between the flexible PVC tubing and the tube connection which may be a tube connection made of PP. It is preferable to select a flexible PVC tube in which a polystyrene-butadiene block copolymer that can be tightly bonded to the complementary tube connection portion is superimposed. This can be achieved by providing styrene-butadiene block copolymers with appropriate hardness. In particular, the surface roughness present on the surface of the tube connecting portion can be compensated so that the intervening styrene-butadiene block copolymer is in intimate contact with the adjacent connecting portion. The hardness of the superimposed styrene-butadiene block copolymer can have a positive effect on the bond strength obtained after the bonding process. In this regard, Shore hardness of Shore A = 80-90 has been shown to be advantageous (measured according to standard ISO 868).

In another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention it has been found that it is important to adapt the flow and polarity properties of the adhesion promoter, i.e. styrene-butadiene block copolymer, superimposed on the surface of the flexible OVC tube. Both flow and polarity properties are influenced by the chemical heterogeneity and structure of the polymer chains used as adhesion promoters. The flow properties can be influenced by the chain-styrene polystyrene block of the styrene-butadiene block copolymer. The polarity of the polymer chain may be affected by controlling the amount of randomly distributed styrene repeat units incorporated into the flexible polybutadiene block of the styrene-butadiene block copolymer. To combine these two effects, an adhesion promoter comprising a polystyrene block and a styrene-butadiene block copolymer consisting of a block of a random copolymer of butadiene and styrene is preferred. It is even more preferred that the polystyrene-butadiene block copolymer comprises a polymer chain having at least one block of at least two polystyrene blocks and a random copolymer of butadiene and styrene.

In another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the adhesion promoter is characterized in that the content of polystyrene blocks in the SBC is in the range of 5 wt% to 35 wt%. Preferably, the content of polystyrene blocks in the SBC ranges from 7 to 25% by weight, preferably from 10 to 20% by weight. At this point, styrene block contents of less than 5% of the total SBC weight showed a weak tube connection. On the other hand, a styrene block content of 35% or more indicated that there was a problem in manufacturing the tube connection according to the present invention.

According to another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention we have found that the total styrene content, i.e. the styrene present as random co-monomer in the styrene and butadiene blocks present in the polystyrene block, It was confirmed that it affected the action. In this respect, it has been found that the preferred total styrene content is in the range of 20 to 80%, preferably 25 to 75%, more preferably 40 to 70%.

Polymeric materials made from the polymer structures and chemicals described above are known to form phase separation into nanoscale. The micro or nanostructures of such polymeric materials are responsible for elastomeric, plastic and flow properties. To maintain these properties at high temperatures that may occur during thermal sterilization processes, it is important to select adhesion promoters that are resistant even at the high pressure heat sterilization temperatures at which the micro or nanostructures are generally performed at 121 占 폚. Accordingly, the present invention features an adhesion promoting styrene-butadiene block copolymer comprising a sequence-disorder transition temperature of at least 140 ° C.

In a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to an assembly of a fluid treatment cassette module comprising at least one tube connection and at least one flexible tube made of a material comprising polyvinyl chloride, The tube connection between the cassette module and the flexible PVC tube is formed through a fluid connection between the fluid treatment cassette module and the flexible PVC tube and the tube connection may be any tube connection, Tube according to any of the embodiments of the fourth aspect.

In a further embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present invention the tube connection is formed through a flexible tube made of a material comprising PVC and a tube connection disposed on the fluid treatment cassette module, 1 flexible vinyl tube is a tube according to any of the embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention.

In a further embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present invention the tube connection is formed through a flexible tube made of a material comprising PVC and a tube connection disposed on the fluid treatment cassette module, Wherein the flexible PVC tube is a tube according to any of the embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention and the fluid treatment cassette module is a module according to any of the embodiments of the third aspect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND EXAMPLES

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description of Figures 1 to 4 and corresponding embodiments thereof. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be construed as limited to the features given by the drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings represent specific embodiments within the scope of the invention in which other embodiments of the invention may be accomplished.

1A illustrates an embodiment of a tube connection 1 according to a second, third or fifth aspect of the present invention. This drawing is a cross-sectional view of a female tube connecting portion along a plane cut parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tube connecting portion. The tube connection consists of a rigid sidewall (2) which defines an inner cavity of the sleeve adapted to receive a tube end section in the tube sheet (4) representing the overlap region between the sleeve and the tube end section. In this case, the material of the tube connecting portion is a material that can be formed by injection molding in the appropriate shape shown in Fig. A suitable material in this context is PP, and preferably PP is polypropylene which is resistant to the electron beam sterilization process. A preferred polypropylene in this regard is sold by LyondellBasell under the trade name Purell HP371P.

In each embodiment of Fig. 1A, the tube sheet is additionally formed by a layer 3 formed by an adhesion promoter comprising SBC. According to this embodiment of Figure 1A, the adhesion promoter is applied by an overmolding process to fill the cavity of the tube connection and form the tube sheet 4 in the overlap region.

Preferably, overmolding of the tube connection made of the PP material is performed in the second of two successive steps of two-component injection molding. In the first position, the tube connection made of PP is shaped into the molding cavity of the molding tool. The forming tool is then opened. The inner plate rotates to position the tube connection (blocked inside the plate) in the second position. The forming tool is then closed again and the tube sheet pin in the second position enters the tube connection. An adhesion promoter is then injected through the recesses 5 in the second position. The forming tool is then opened again and the tube connection is removed. The tube connection of Figure 1 further features an outer collar 7 formed on the circumferential edge of the rigid sidewall of the tube connection. This outer collar maintains the injected adhesion promoter in place and is responsible for additional mechanical strength. Additional support is provided on the one hand by the opening 5 serving as an injection port. On the other hand, the opening 5 serves as a holding point for the injected adhesion promoter. A preferred material for the adhesion promoting material is available under the trade name Styroflex 2G66 by INEOS Styrolution.

Figure IB illustrates an alternative embodiment according to the first, second, third or fifth aspect of the present invention. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a female tube connection according to a planar cut parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tube connection, similar to FIG. 1A. In this embodiment, the tube connection is adapted to receive the pump tube end connected to the conduit portion 26 to form one communication conduit with the conduit of the pump tube section upon insertion of the tube. The tube connection 21 of Figure 1B preferably includes a rigid sidewall 22 defining an internal cavity of the sleeve made of PP material made of Purell HP371P as described above. The tube connection in Figure 1b includes an overmolding 23 made of an adhesion promoter preferably comprising Styroflex 2G66 to accommodate the tube end section in the tube sheet providing an overlap region 24 between the sleeve and the tube end section . The adhesion promoter may be injected through the recess 25 in the overmolding process. The tube connection features an outer collar (27) formed on the circumferential edge of the rigid sidewall of the tube connection. This outer collar keeps the injected promoter in place and is responsible for additional mechanical strength. Additional support is provided on the one hand by the recess 25 serving as an injection port. On the other hand, the opening 5 serves as a holding point for the injected adhesion promoter. The tube connection of Figure 1B features a front flange 28 disposed perpendicular to the cutout shown along the longitudinal direction of the tube connection. By insertion of the tube end section, the flange abuts the end surface of the tube.

Figure 2 shows another embodiment according to the first, second, third or fifth aspect of the present invention. This figure illustrates a cross-sectional view of a tube connection 101 that is perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, including a tube connection and a tube inserted therein. The figure shows a circular cross section of an insertion tube 102 surrounded by a continuous layer 106 of adhesion promoting material comprising a styrene-butadiene block copolymer. The side wall of the tube connecting portion 103 is formed of a predetermined shape of the ribs 105. In each of the planar cuts shown in FIG. 2, the side wall 103 does not form a continuous peripheral wall. As shown, the sidewalls provide an opening 107 that can act as an injection port or a fixed recess point to stabilize the adhesion promoter in the tube sheet position 104.

Figure 3 illustrates a side view of a schematic representation of an embodiment of a fluid treatment cassette module 201 according to the third and fifth aspects of the present invention. The fluid handling cassette module represents a functional unit that accommodates a plurality of fluid treatment sites. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the fluid treatment cassette module includes a plurality of tube connections 202-202i. As can be seen, the rigid connections and cassette modules form an integral unit that can be obtained by an injection molding process, particularly a two-component injection molding process, as described above. As can be seen from Fig. The tube connecting portion is characterized in that it has the above-mentioned characteristics, that is, the fixed recess 203 and the outer ring 204. The fluid treatment cassette further comprises slits (205 to 205c) extending or joining between the two tube connection portions. This slit can be used to inject the polymer melt of the adhesion promoter and to distribute the injected melt between the two tube connections. As a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of injection nozzle required to inject the adhesion promoter into the tube sheet area of the forming tool.

4 further includes a fluid handling cassette module 302 and further includes a plurality of tube connections such as a connection 304 comprised of a tube 304 and a tube connection 309 and the flexible tubes 304, 304a, 305, 305a, 306, 306a, 307, 308) according to the third, fourth, and fifth aspects of the present invention. Figure 4 illustrates a projection view of one side of a schematic representation of the assembly. The assembly represents a device for extracorporeal blood treatment of dialysis therapy. The fluid handling cassette module is for blood treatment during a hemodialysis treatment session. The assembly is further characterized by having a plurality of different tubes needed to maintain a blood treatment session. These tubes include pump tube loops 304, 304a for maintaining a stream of fluid by means of a peristaltic pump operation, system tubes 305, 305a, 306, 306a for delivery of body fluids which may be blood in the illustrated embodiment, A heparin tube 307 and a vein injection tube 308 for administering an anticoagulant to an extracorporeal blood circuit.

Claims (15)

A tube connection adapted to receive a flexible tube made of a material comprising polyvinyl chloride, said tube connection comprising a sleeve adapted to form an overlapping area between said tube connection and said tube, wherein at least part of the surface of said sleeve In which the adhesion promoter is applied,
Wherein the adhesion promoter comprises a styrene-butadiene block copolymer. The tube connecting portion according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes projecting lips extending axially in the axial direction, preferably within a portion or all of the overlapping region. The tube connecting portion according to claim 2, wherein the protruding lip has a dovetail shape. 4. A tube connection according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sleeve comprises at least one recess extending inwardly from an outer surface thereof. 5. A tube connection according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the adhesion promoter is applied as overmolding onto at least a part of the surface of the sleeve. 6. The tube connecting part according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the adhesion promoter forms an outer collar on the sleeve of the tube connection part. 7. A tube connection according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesion promoter forms a front flange, at least a portion of which is configured to receive an end face of the tube. The styrene-butadiene block copolymer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the total styrene content of the styrene-butadiene block copolymer is 20 to 80 wt%, preferably 25 to 75 wt%, more preferably 40 to 70 wt% Wherein the tube connection portion comprises: The styrene-butadiene block copolymer according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the styrene-butadiene block copolymer has a sequence-disorder transition temperature of 140 ° C or higher and 220 ° C or lower, a Shore A hardness in the range of 80 to 90, Characterized in that it exhibits order-disorder transition temperature and Shore A hardness as defined above. 10. The tube connecting part according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the sleeve forms a female or male connection part. 11. A device according to any one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it is rigid or made of a plastic material, preferably rigid and made of a plastic material, said plastic material comprising or consisting of polypropylene Tube connection. An assembly comprising a flexible tube made of a material comprising a tube connection according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and a material comprising polyvinyl chloride, said tube being coupled to an overlapping area of said sleeve of said tube connection, Wherein the tube is connected to the tube connection via the adhesion promoting material. The flexible tube of claim 12, wherein the flexible tube is made of a material comprising polyvinyl chloride, the polyvinyl chloride comprises a plasticizer selected from the group of alkyl esters of trimellitic acid, preferably the plasticizer is trioctyl ≪ / RTI > is trimellitate. 12. A fluid treatment cassette module for treating a therapeutic fluid or bodily fluid, comprising at least one tube connection according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or an assembly according to claim 12 or 13. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the fluid treatment cassette module comprises a plurality of tube connections, wherein at least two tube connections are interconnected by at least one conduit adapted to simultaneously distribute the polymer melt streams to at least two rigid connections Characterized by a fluid handling cassette module.

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